The use of intravascular catheters for treatment of the body is well known in the field of medicine. The use of dilation or balloon catheters has become widespread in the treatment, for example, of restrictions within the coronary blood vessels, such as stenotic lesions. In balloon angioplasty, a catheter carrying a balloon at its distal end is guided through the blood vessel to a point adjacent the lesion. The placement of the balloon is aided by use of a fluoroscope and radiopaque elements. The size and type of the balloon is generally selected by the physician based on his knowledge of the size and type of lesion. The balloon is then expanded by providing an expansion fluid from the proximal end of the catheter through a fluid lumen within the catheter to the balloon. The expanded balloon acts on the lesion in a manner to reopen at least a portion of the restricted vessel. The balloon is then deflated for removal from the body, though sometimes repeated reinflation may be deemed necessary by the physician prior to removal.
Though balloon angioplasty is well known as a safe and effective method for treatment of the vascular disease described above, there are still problems that arise during the procedure. For example, stenotic lesions often have a highly irregular cross-sectional configuration, and may vary greatly in their hardness, both of which make for difficulty in determining what size and composition of balloon to use, and how often to inflate it. These complications further compound the problem of determining the efficacy of the procedure.
Traditionally, the angioplasty procedure is performed, the catheter is removed and the procedure is terminated. At a later time, days weeks or months, a measurement is taken of blood flow through the previously treated vessel. Depending upon the resulting blood flow, the patient may be again admitted to the facility and another complete angioplasty procedure performed.
Prior methods for determining blood flow through such a reconstructed vessel include injecting a radioactive isotope and monitoring through external equipment passage of the isotope to determine blood flow.
Alternatively, ultrasonic devices have been used to image the vessel prior to reconstruction and re-image the vessel subsequent to reconstruction to obtain two-dimensional images of the vessel. These two-dimensional images are then used as basis for calculating the blood flow through the reconstructed area.
However, each of these procedures is relatively complex in that it involves significant external equipment. In addition, these measurements are taken before and after the entire angioplasty procedure. Thus, if sufficient flow is not restored, the entire angioplasty procedure including reinsertion must be repeated. Thus, the patient is exposed to all the complications of the procedure as well as increased hospital time.
Therefore, need exists for a method and apparatus for determining blood flow during angioplasty procedures such that the efficacy of the procedure and reconstruction of the relevant vessel may be determined in real time. The need continues such that intra-procedural evaluation improvements in access flow may be identified. The need also exists for a relatively simple and inexpensive method and apparatus for determining the intra-procedural blood flow.